by Matthew Holloway | Mar 28, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ensure pay for federal security personnel passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support this week.
According to a press release from Ciscomani’s office, the “Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029)” would fund DHS operations and provide pay for personnel, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, U.S. Coast Guard members, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) employees, Secret Service personnel, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff.
Ciscomani said the bill passed with support from all House Republicans and several Democrats.
“We just voted on my bill, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, and it passed with bipartisan support,” Ciscomani said in a video statement released following the vote. “There’s clearly a need and a sign that we have to fund the Department of Homeland Security entirely.”
Ciscomani, who serves as vice chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said he worked on the legislation and that negotiations included members of both parties.
“This bill was negotiated with Democrats until the majority of the Democrats started playing politics with this issue,” Ciscomani said. “That doesn’t pay our TSA agents, our Coast Guard, CISA and cybersecurity, Secret Service, FEMA—the money that Arizona needs, especially during the summer and fires. So this all gets funded in this bill.”
The legislation comes as DHS funding and employee pay have been at issue amid broader federal budget negotiations.
In an opinion column published by the Arizona Daily Star, Ciscomani urged the U.S. Senate to take up the legislation and ensure continued funding for DHS personnel.
In the column, Ciscomani wrote that DHS employees “work every day to keep Americans safe,” and argued that they “should not be used as leverage in political fights in Washington.”
He also called on the Senate to act without delay, writing that lawmakers should “pass this legislation immediately and ensure our homeland defenders receive the pay they have earned.”
The bill now advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
“I call on the senators… to pass this immediately,” Ciscomani said. “And I specifically call on the Arizona senators to get this done.”
The measure would provide funding for DHS operations, which include aviation security, border security, disaster response, and cybersecurity efforts.
As of publication, the Senate has not yet taken action on the bill.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Dec 9, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer worked with the federal government to moderate speech, suggesting in one meeting that they hold “bootcamps” for media outlets to improve election reporting. Richer clarified to AZ Free News that he doesn’t advise or direct the actions of the federal government.
According to documents obtained by Trump’s 2024 campaign attorney Christina Bobb, Richer met with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC) Misinformation & Disinformation (MDM) Subcommittee in March. CISA is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Richer cited The Gateway Pundit (TGP) reporting on a debunked claim that county election officials held an unannounced meeting as one example of misinformation.
TGP sued Maricopa County last month, TGP Communications v. Sellers, for denying one of its reporters a press pass. On Monday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the county to issue the press pass while litigation continues. The court asserted that the county likely violated the First Amendment, finding that the county discriminated against TGP for its reporter’s political views.
This reporter asked Maricopa County for comment on the order to issue a press pass. The county responded that it doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.
AZ Free News asked Richer about this collaboration with CISA, as well as his decision to delete the below tweet amid the ongoing lawsuit. Richer responded that his remarks to CISA weren’t unique from remarks that he’s shared with many other audiences. He added that the documents posted on Twitter summarized the topics he discussed.
“I don’t advise them on anything or direct any of their actions. I think they just wanted the perspective of an election administrator and what I try to do to share accurate voting information,” stated Richer.
As for the tweet, Richer explained that he occasionally deletes posts that he dislikes or believes to be unproductive in hindsight. He added that he doesn’t keep track of the posts he deletes or the reasons why he deleted them.
Richer told the MDM Subcommittee that the federal government and CISA had low credibility in rumor control. He advised that those with the most credibility were local community members, mainstream media, and social media companies like Twitter and Facebook.
Along with the misinformation and disinformation claims, Richer told CISA that some were guilty of “malinformation” by submitting too many public records requests. In its meeting summary, CISA characterized the increase in requests as an “abuse.”
“In 2019, Maricopa County received 30-40 public records requests. In 2021, they received over 350 requests ranging from requests to produce everything related to the 2020 election to all email communications related to elections, to all the rules and processes on how the elections are administered,” stated the report. “This example highlights how individuals can use lawful means to burden a system already stretched thin.”
Those leading the MDM Subcommittee meeting were Megan Tsuyi, designated federal officer for CSAC and MDM Subcommittee; Kate Starbird, a University of Washington professor and MDM Subcommittee chair; and Kim Wyman, CISA senior election security lead.
Others present at the meeting were Vijaya Gadde, the legal, public policy, and trust and safety lead for Twitter; and Suzanne Spalding, senior DHS advisor and director of Defending Democratic Institutions Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
